The Atlanta Hawks entered Monday night’s contest against the New York Knicks in need of a victory. At times, it seemed as if that win could materialize, but the Knicks put together one of their best offensive nights of the season, and Atlanta fell by a final score of 123-112 at Madison Square Garden.
Atlanta scuffled out of the gate on both ends. The Hawks missed their first three shots and, with the Knicks starting red-hot, New York took a 16-5 lead. That includes three straight long-range connections from the Knicks and, in general, the opening quarter was marked by the home team catching fire.